Friction clutch



Nav. l 1 1924- LSISOZ .A. E. NORRIS FRI CTION CLUTCH Filed sept. so 1921 2 sheets-sham. 1

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NGV, 11, 1924.

Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALMON E. NORRIS, .0F IBIROOIKLIN'E,4 MASSACHUSETTS.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

Application led September 20, .1921. Serial No. 501,924.

To all whom t may concern.' v

Be it known that I, ALMoN E. NoRRIs, a `citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Friction Clutches, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,-is a speciiication, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to friction clutches and is more particularly concerned with clutches of the class employed in connection with the rope winding drums of hoisting enginesand the like. The invention aims to facilitate the renewal of the lining material of the friction surfaces of the clutch members, and to prevent oil and grease from being thrown out onto such surfaces from the' bearings.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when takenin connection with the accompanying drawings of one speciiic embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: c x

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly. in central longitudinal section, of a rope winding drum having a friction clutch exemplify ing the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the inner member of the clutch as viewed from the right-hand side thereof considered with reference to Fig. 1; I l

Fig. 3 is a true elevation of one'of the spokes shown in- Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line of Flg. 2; .and

Fi 51s a development of one section of l the c utch lining, orfacing.

v Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment o f the invention which is sef lected for exem liication there is shown a shaft 6 mounte in bearings 8 and 10. To the shaft is keyed a`"gear 12,",usually driven by a pinion which in turn is driven by the crank shaft of the hoisting engine,1the pinion and crankA shaft, however, not ybeing shown herein as they have nothing to do with the present' invention. Loosely mount` ed on the shaft is a rope winding drumu14 which is free to slide axlally in one direction under the inuence of any usual actuating means, such as that which is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 817,268, issued to me August 10, 1906, to which reference may be had for details not disclosed herein. The actuating mechanism comprises a nut 16 secured to the bearing 10 by studs 18 and cooperating with an axially disposed screw 20 having a head 22 which is usually turned by a vlever not herein shown. `The inner end of the screw engages the outer end of an axially arranged thrust pin 24 whose inner end engages a cross piece or key 26 mounted to slide axiallyfin a slot 28 provided in the shaft 6. This cross pieceYV engages'aJ collar 30 which in turn abuts axially against a hub 32 of the drum 14. When, therefore, the screw 20 is turned in the proper direction, it operates through the f thrust pin 24, cross` piece 26 and collar 30 to move the drum 14 toward the left, Fig. 1, thereby causing engagement of the clutchingisurfaces presently to be described. The hub 32 has a bearing on the shaft which is lubricated by a usual grease cup 34. The drum has another hub 36 having a bearing on the shaft which is lubricated by a usual grease cup 38 from which a conduit 40` leads to the bearing surface,

Disengagement of the clutchin surfaces is effected by a usual helically coi ed spring 42 interposed between a yoke 44 and an iadjacent hub 46 of the gear V12. Movement cone is facedwith a facing 56 of suitable material such as asbestos composition, preferably insections such as shown in Fig. 5 suitably secured thereto as by rivets 58. An important feature of .my inventionls the provision for facilitating the renewal of the clutch facing. One factor in this 1s the Aprovision of -a chamber-'60 having an open end 62. afording access Vto the inner ends of the rivets 58 wherebythe'latter may be easily cut off and driven .out of place. A11- cessity of dismounting the entire mechanism.

Another important feature o f my Ainvention is the provision for preventing the bearing lubricant from reachlng the clutching surfaces. To this end, the outer clutch member is` provided with an annular 1n-- clined deflector 64, herein conveniently formed as an integral flange projecting l-at erally from a web 66 which connects the drum 14 with the outer cone 54, and this web is provided with one or more openings '68 communicating with the annular trough aorded by the flange. `When, therefore, any lubricant is thrown outwardly against the Hangs 64, the latter assists the travel of the lubricant by thecombined action of gravlty and centrifugal force, and directs the lubricant through the openings 68 to the exterior of the clutch, -where it cannot interfere w1th the proper working of the latter.

The inner clutch member also is provided with similar means to catch lubricantand to cause the same to pass out through the open end 62. The hub 46 and cone 52 are suitably connected together, as by a f web herein presenting spokes 70, although spolres are not necessarily employed. Referrlng now to Fig. 4', each of the spokes has a conlcal surface 72, and any lubricant adhering thereto gravitates toward vthe middle. .As the lubricant travels in an outward directlon under the influence of centrifugal force, it-

encounters what l term -a dam 74, conveniently formed as an integral flange, best shown in Fig. 3, which projects from the face of the spoke and is inclined outwardly in oppositeidirections from its central portion toward the adjacent openings 76 between the spokes, therebyA directing the lu- Y bricant into said openings and causing the same to pass vout throughthe chamber and opening 62 without reaching the clutching surfaces, the course of the lubricant being indicated by /th'e arrows in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. lit shouldbe observed that the lubricant deecting means carried by one clutch member overlaps inan axial direction the dedecting means carried by the other, so that by their cooperative action lubricant is carried away and prevented from reaching the clutching surfaces.

.Having thus described one embodiment of the invention without limiting myself thereasiatica 1. ln a clutch, the combination of a shaft, n

bearings therefor, inner and outer, fric tionally engagin parts which are mounted on said shaft an transmit power-from one to the other by reason of their frictial engagement, one of said parts being fixed to said shaft and the other slidable lengthwise thereon, a renewable lining a'ording the friction surface of said inner part, fastening members extending through said lining and said inner part to secure said liningto said inner. part, the latter being hollow and hav-` ing an open end affording access to the innen ends of said fastening members and space for their removal and replacement by manipulation within said space, and operat ing means for causing driving engagement of said parts by moving said slidable part lengthwlse on said shaft, said operating meansv includinga thrust member adapted to be displaced from its normal position to permit an abnormal movement of said slidable part toward the adjacent bearing to a position affording access to the outer ends of said fastening means.

2. lln a clutch, the combination of a shaft, bearings therefor, inner and outer, frustoconical engaging parts which transmit power from one to the other Vby reason of their frictional engagement, one of said parts being fixed to said shaft and the other slidable lengthwise thereon, said inner part having-an annular wall encircling a chamber open to the exterior at the larger end of the frustum, a renewable lining adording the friction surface of said inner part, fastening members extending through said lining and said wall and having headed ends accessible through the open end of .said

chamber, and operating means for causing driving engagement of saidparts by moving said slidable part lengthwise on 'said shaft, said operating means including a thrust member adapted to be displaced from its normal position to permit an abnormal movement of said vslidable part toward the adjacent bearing to a position aording access 'tothe outer ends of said fastening means.' A

3. In a clutch, the combination of a air of cooperating clutchmembers having' c tionally engaging surfaces by which the power is transmitted from one to the other, each of said members being providedwith means independently of the others to catch surplus oil and each having an outlet to conduct oil to the exterior ofthe clutch thereby to prevent the same from reaching said surfaces.

. 4. lin a clutch, the combination of a air of cooperating clutch members ha. u v ictionally engaging surfaces by which the power is transmitted from `one to the other,

said members being provided, one with an- .nular oil delecting means and an outlet associated therewith to permit the escape of oil and the other with mterrupted oil deilectlng means spaced to permit the escape of oil, said vmeans cooperating to prevent oil from reaching said surfaces.

5. In a clutch, the combination of a pair of cooperating clutch members having frictionally engaging surfaces by which the power is transmitted from one to the other, said members being provid/ed, one lwith inner, annular oil deflecting means and the other with outer oildelectmg means about said inner means, and each member being provided with an opening associated with its delecting means, for conducting away the oil deflected thereby independently of the deflecting means and opening of the 'other member.

6. In a clutch, the combination of a of cooperating clutch members having tionally engaging vsurfaces by which the power is transmitted from one to the other, each of said members bein provided with an opening and an o il de ector associated therewith to direct oil therethrou h linde pendently of the opening and de ector of the other member.

7 In a clutch, the combination of a air of cooperating clutch members having ictionally engaging surfaces by which the power is transmitted from one to the other, one of said members being) provided with a series of spokes separated y openings, eachv spoke present-ing a dam inclined outwardly in opposite directions from its central portion toward adjacent openings to direct oil thereinto.

8. In a clutch, the combination of a pair of cooperating clutch members havingfrictionally engaging surfaces by which the power is transmitted'from one to the other, said members being provided with radially inner and outer o1l deiecting means, one overlapping the other in an axial direction, an oil outlet associated with said outer delecting. means, and an oil outlet associated with said inner deilecting means.

.In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specificatio A ALMON E. NORRIS. 

